Technology and the future of apprenticeships

From unrecognisable, interconnected smart cities to electric cars, we’re already living in the future. Just as the world develops into a more technologically advanced place, businesses have to adapt and deliver change too. With the fast-paced nature of the ever-expanding universe of tech, companies need first rate talent working behind the scenes to keep up with these seismic shifts in how we work. That means finding and training digitally-savvy employees who can keep you right at the cutting edge of your industry.

The demands of the future

New challenges are constantly materialising as we expand further into emerging sectors, which call for specialists equipped with a commercial focus and an aptitude for all things tech. From sustainable energy to space exploration, augmented and virtual reality to advanced robotics, businesses are launching and developing futuristic ideas that were once the domain of science fiction.

With the risk of being overtaken by more agile, adaptable businesses, keeping up to date with all the latest industry changes and training opportunities is essential. Recent government reforms to apprenticeships mean they are now an excellent training resource, rather than a vocational route reserved for school leavers. They could now be the key to growth for your business.

As businesses look to the future of technology, apprenticeships have responded in kind. Since 2010, the number of science, maths & IT apprenticeships has increased by 25%, indicating a demand for well-trained, tech savvy business people to take us into the future.

You can now become an apprentice in a huge variety of futuristic roles which will become increasingly pervasive in future. Apprenticeships and further training now mean you can become a Space Exploration Technician or use Big Data to develop intelligent systems. Apprenticeships are also offering higher levels of qualifications and more people are turning to these to progress in their chosen field. This move towards more advanced apprenticeships has already been seen, with a 36.7% increase in higher level apprenticeship participation between 2016 and 2017.

The importance of soft skills

While businesses are moving towards technology and automation, soft skills will remain an essential function of businesses. Human interaction is still at the core of business, especially sales and customer service-heavy sectors. So if you want to succeed in the future, your tech-savvy workers will also need these skills.

You might be using tech skills to develop the next big Artificial Intelligence system for your industry or further in the future, teach robots how to interact efficiently with humans, but this requires a fundamental understanding of essential soft skills. Similarly, in advanced technical sales, you may know how everything works, but without people skills you’ll struggle to sell.

That’s where apprenticeships come in. You can mould your candidates and complement their technological know-how with strong interpersonal skills, on the job. They’ll be training within your company so you can help to perfect their training and keep a close eye on their progress.

How apprenticeships are adapting

Apprenticeships as we know them have been reinvented in recent years. They’ve been reimagined from a university alternative focused around trades, to an alternative career route with greater breadth and depth in terms of subject and level of qualification.

You can now opt for apprenticeship training at any age, earn qualifications and opt for more flexible learning. As such an important training resource, it’s vital that companies offering apprenticeships are doing their very best to attract the individuals who can be trained and developed to be the future talent and even leaders of the business.

With such an emphasis on learning, your company should offer the best possible training options for this new generation. This includes apprenticeships, which are becoming increasingly aligned with the needs of businesses. Now that larger businesses are paying the Apprenticeship Levy, encouraging them to invest in apprenticeship training and smaller businesses are receiving 90% government funding, there will be a host of new apprenticeship opportunities.